ACCRINGTON Stanley’s chief executive Rob Heys has returned triumphant from Mount Kilimanjaro.
Pictures of the journey show him standing at the peak of the world’s highest free standing mountain after a 16-hour trek.
Rob is now back at the club after raising £2,970 in aid of the Football League’s official charity Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Standing at 19,341 ft above sea level, the journey up saw many fall by the wayside, suffering from Kilimanjaro's lack of oxygen, which is 50 per cent less than at sea level.
Rob said: “The climb was a real test of physical and mental endurance, making it up to Gilman's Point and then on to the true summit at Uhuru Point, but well worth the effort for such a good cause.”
Rob made the climb with a team of 15 alongside Football League chief operating officer Andy Williamson. Eleven of the group made it to the top.
Rob added: “We had a sobering reminder just as we set off when a Kili express, which is a stretcher with a wheel in the middle which porters use to transport those suffering from altitude sickness down to get treatment, came by.
“It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but well worth it The last part was a vertical mile. At that point it became mind over matter. Being at the top was amazing because it took so long to get there. The stars were like I'd never seen them before and watching the sun rise was spectacular.”
To support Rob’s effort, visit justgiving.com/robertheys
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